Every parent decides what’s best for their children, and that includes their choices regarding education. Many rely on a standardized and robust public education system that offers the necessary knowledge for the students. Others, who can afford it, opt for private schools instead, getting more nuanced and varied curriculums. And then there are the most involved parents of the bunch who opt for homeschooling their children.
Homeschooling is not an easy task, though. It’s a serious commitment that has to ensure a child’s educational and professional future. Parents often have to put a lot of effort and time into teaching their children at home if they wish to achieve good results. Many have to severely limit their work hours or even leave their jobs to be able to provide quality education for their children. That is why there’s no surprise some people express concern that not every parent is capable of such a huge endeavor.
Those are the doubts that redditor @Standard_Ad8440 had when they learned that their sister wants to homeschool their child. After they expressed their concern and received an intense reaction, they turned to the AITA subreddit to check if their worries were valid or not.
With more and more parents choosing to educate their children at home, homeschooling has been growing in popularity in recent years
Image credits: Julia M Cameron (not the actual image)
However, not every parent is capable of doing it well. At least, that is the sentiment of the person telling the story below
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION (not the actual image)
Image credits: Standard_Ad8440
Homeschooling is quite an undertaking that requires planning and effort
The concern is, of course, understandable. Especially because the sister seemed so unbothered about how complicated homeschooling can be. It comes off as just a thought she had and settled on without really doing much research or considering what teaching at home would entail.
People need months of preparation before starting to homeschool. One has to decide what type of schooling method they will be using, what kind of curriculum they will follow, and where they would set up a learning space. The parent has to be organized enough to keep track of all of the child’s records and their academic progress. It is also recommended to look into other schooling options, just in case it turns out that teaching at home is not working as planned.
Then there’s also the question of socializing a child, i.e., determining where and how will your child meet their peers to interact and make friends with. This is especially important for more introverted parents. They have to know that if they do opt for homeschooling, they will often have to get out of their comfort zone to accommodate their child’s socializing needs.
This apparent disregard to all the variables is what made a lot of the commentators side with the sibling who was doubting their sister’s capabilities. Many were astonished by her lack of general knowledge, too, even though it doesn’t necessarily determine how successful of a teacher she could be. If parents are innately curious, excited about learning, and willing to take extra steps to educate themselves, they might still succeed in teaching their child and making education fun. However, if they expect YouTube videos to do the job for them, they need to reconsider.
Image credits: Annushka Ahuja (not the actual image)
Homeschooling is not an inherently bad practice, it’s just something one has to dedicate themselves to in order to succeed
While many redditors expressed their distaste for homeschooling and their perception that it only works occasionally, there’s not a lot of scientific evidence suggesting that teaching at home is bad for children. The reason for that could be because the leaders of the movement discourage homeschoolers to participate in any sort of research so it’s a hard topic to study. Still, the opinions that people have are mostly reflections of their anecdotal knowledge of the matter.
Many people associate homeschooling with fringe beliefs. A quick search on TikTok or Instagram can only further this idea as some homeschoolers there openly denounce modern medicine and everything that’s “not natural.” Then there are also parents that pull their children out of schools because of their religious beliefs and only present them a narrow view of the world in their teachings. Other parents take their children out of the public system because of their dissatisfaction but without planning to put any effort in it. Buying a few books for your child does not constitute teaching, and it seems that OP’s sister is doing just that.
However, there are many great examples of parents that excel in homeschooling. They offer their children a variety of experiences and unique ways of learning that makes it fun and interesting. Children that don’t fit in the public system because of their behavior, learning speed, or negative social experiences can really benefit from homeschooling. A parent that puts a lot of love and care into educating their children who want to be homeschooled (that’s also very important!) can have wonderful results. It can allow children to graduate early or find their true passions with more ease.
Unfortunately, the intentions of the OP’s sister don’t seem very rational. Apparently, she “doesn’t trust what teachers teach” so she prefers for her children to “learn through the world.” This, compounded with the fact that the OP’s sister didn’t seem to be ready for her teaching journey is quite worrying. Her emotional reaction to OP’s comment might also mean that she feels unsure about her capabilities, as well.
Maybe this situation will make the mother reconsider her decision. Or it’ll make her more determined to be better prepared for the upcoming school year as well as the negative comments from the family. The OP should most likely brace themselves for the latter.
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual image)
The OP clarified a few things regarding the situation in the comments
Most agreed with the sibling, saying their concern is justified
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